Thales has successfully conducted different trials, which have demonstrated the integration capability of its radio communication solutions with the Spanish Army’s command and control systems for use cases of a command network, both at brigade and lower echelons levels. The trials of the SYNAPS software-defined radios (SDR) and Line-of-Sight solutions showed full compatibility and new capabilities brought to the command and control and communications systems deployed and in use, such as BMS (Battlefield Management System) and PR4G radios, or will be in the near future by the Spanish Armys.
These trials took place as part of the Spanish Army’s Force 2035 Experimentation Plan, giving simultaneous support to multimedia services in video, voice and other data. They were conducted under the leadership, coordination and supervision of the Spanish Army’s Information and Telecommunications Systems Technical Assistance (JCISAT), and with the attendance as observers of personnel from the Army’s Academy of Engineers (ACING), the National Cryptologic Centre (CCN) and the Directorate-General for Weaponry and Material (DGAM). The technology presented during the experimentation encompassed different military radio communications solutions: SDR (Software Defined Radio) SYNAPS dual-channel/dual-band radio (VHF/UHF) and the TN4110 unit, offering Line-of-sight capability and demonstrating our capability to operate in wide bandwidth on the move.
The trials demonstrated the capabilities of SYNAPS radios with the current VHF GEOMUX waveform deployed on the PR4G, as well as with the ESSOR European-Secured SOftware Radio HDR WF (High Data Rate Waveform), a UHF waveform brought by the ESSOR Programme to which Spain participates, now funded by 6 European countries. The trials confirmed the high data capacity of ESSOR HDR WF and its full adaptability to Spanish operational requirements, while bringing the full interoperability with the 6 European countries that have developed it. The ESSOR waveform will be soon further financed by the ESSOR Countries and European Defense Funds for the upcoming phase of the Programme, with new capacities at reach.
Interoperability with PR4G radios deployed in the Army has also been demonstrated, as the new voice group capabilities that produce significant savings in both numbers of radios in vehicles and in frequencies. The SYNAPS radios offer a far more efficient management of the electromagnetic spectrum, allowing high densification of the networks, and optimal capacity/attainment ratio with very robust ECCM (Electronic counter-countermeasures) measures.
